The Step Wise Guide to an Awesome Cover Letter

You have a resume and you know you now need to get a cover letter. It is a common fact that people assume cover letter to be a formality and hence pen down a random document to submit. This is one of the greatest job search mistake that as a job seeker you could do. Cover letters are important. In fact there are number of recruiters who do not even look at your well formatted CV if it is not supported by a well formatted cover letter.

Not sending a cover letter that makes sense to the recruiters is one of the biggest mistakes that you make in your job search. Your cover letter is a part of your job search process and should be treated the same way. It means that your resume and cover letter should complement each other in order to present a cohesive version of you.

So now when you know you need to give the best of you for your cover letter, you should take time out and write an awesome cover letter.

Ready! Here is how you should start your cover letter:

Describe Additional Details on Your Cover Letter

As a professional your resume should have all that you do and what you have achieved in the previous employments. This is how a well-formatted CV of a professional looks like. But your cover letter should be different. It should be used for describing additional details and not just your resume in paragraph form. You could use a cover letter to expand some points of your resume. Tell a story why you are perfect for the company. This is what recruiters are looking for in a cover letter.

Do Not Describe How the Company Would Benefit You

On the other hand, tell the recruiter how you will be beneficial to the company and the position. What they really want to know is what you would bring to the company.

Show What You Are Capable Of

Beyond explaining the past, talk about what you can do in the future. Determine the key roles and priorities for the role you are applying to and show the employer that you can deliver on these key points. You can also think about crafting a particular section that makes it clear what you can do for this role.

Focus on Your Skills

If your experience does not help you get the job, turn the tables around for yourself by focusing on skills.

Do Not Over Focus on Education

A lot of new graduates make this cover letter mistake of putting too much focus on their educational background in their cover letter. You could focus more on your volunteer and internship experience and highlight your skills.

Use a Few Numbers

Both in your resume and cover letter you should be able to insert some numbers that illustrate your impact on companies’ profits. Employers love to have numbers on their plate. It creates an impact that you understand what the recruiters need; results.

Do not Sound Robot

Using language that is too formal in a cover letter can make you sound robotic. Instead use a language that makes you sound friendly and approachable.

Lastly, Present a Visually Organized Package

Use a format that shows that your resume and cover letter are related. Make your cover letter and resume look like they belong together. Use the same font and size and same header for your personal details at the top of both the cover letter and the resume.

Get it Checked!

To err is human! Even if you carefully examine your cover letter 5 times, there are still chances of little mistakes that might have been ignored. This is human nature. To avoid any of this, get your cover letter and resume checked by someone.

On the Ending Note

Writing a cover letter requires a bit of extra care. The result is a stronger, creates an impactful job application and hence the time is ultimately worth it. The extra attention that you put inside the cover letter won’t go unnoticed for long.

Think about standing out in the eyes on the hiring manager. Hence, when you sit down drafting a cover letter for your resume think about creating an impact. Forget the conventional rules of sounding formal. Use a tone that makes you sound friendly.

Akansha Arora is a professional writer and blogger who loves to pen down her views on a number of topics that interest a reader. She writes keeping in mind the current scenarios and wishes to keep her readers well informed. You can follow her on google.com/+AkanshaArora2112

SmartStudent is an educational portal that provides information & advice to aspiring students. regarding applying to university, choosing a course, what to take to university, finding student accommodation and much more.

About SmartStudent

SmartStudent is an educational portal that provides information & advice to aspiring students. regarding applying to university, choosing a course, what to take to university, finding student accommodation and much more.